James Baldwin is one of the most important American writers of the 2oth century. His novels and essays express eloquently the difficulty of a black person in America in the 1950s and his play, The Amen Corner , currently on at The National Theatre is a visually and musically stunning exploration of that experience. It is a beautiful and inspiring fusion of gospel, comedy and tragedy that pits suffering and grief against faith and community. We would wholeheartedly recommend it as a thoroughly enjoyable night of theatre. See The Telegraph’s review here.

Year 9s who enjoyed the unit of study on ‘The Black Experience’ will find the play especially illuminating. It will be on at The National until 14 August and is a testament to the high calibre of theatre that lay at your doorstep. If you can’t book, go and wait for returns, a surprisingly rewarding experience if you’ve never done it.

Robert Sean Leonard as Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird in Regent’s Park

Nominated students from years 7 to 10 recently attended Open Air Theatre’s production of To Kill A Mockingbird, adapted from the novel by Harper Lee. Students had a great time and really enjoyed the production, as is evident from Francesca Davis and Imaan Mirza’s insightful reviews below.

Review of To Kill A Mockingbird by Francesca Davis, Year 9

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is set in Alabama during a time when poverty and racism is in everyday life. It tells us about a small innocent girl Scout’s journey of growing up when her dad, a lawyer, has to defend a black man accused of something he didn’t do. This makes her and her brother more mature and experienced in what for them would have to get used to. Along with narrations of the novel, written by Harper Lee, the play uses props and everyone has characters which makes the play come alive.

In my opinion, the play is very good as it explains the horrors and difficulty people went through at that time in America through young, innocent children. Even though what they experienced would be scary for most children, they were intrigued to see what happened and were not scared by the fact that racism was running their society and were proud of who their Dad was and what he was doing to do the right thing and help save the people who were prosecuted for no reason. I like it because it makes the audience feel more sympathy for what they experience as imagining it in the eyes of the children who probably did not really understand what was going on, must have been very daunting for them and probably quite scary.

To Kill a Mockingbird in Regent’s Park (taken from openairtheatre.com

I thought what really helped make the play more believable was the way that the characters played their parts. Their American accents sounded so real and you could really understand what they were feeling as a result of both their facial expressions and their body language. For example ‘Atticus’ (Scout’s dad), he went through probably the toughest time in the duration of the play and I could really sympathise and understand what he was feeling because he made it clear what was bothering him and what was not. At the beginning he came across as really stubborn and not the type of man that you would really have a good conversation with but as the play progressed, his image changed as he started to come across as a much more loving dad and caring person who would try his best and do whatever he could for his clients in court. This created many turning points in the performance.

Overall, I think the play ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ was an exciting and interesting performance as you never quite knew what was going to happen and how all of the problems would unfold. It kept the whole audience in suspense and was enjoyable to watch.

Review of To Kill A Mockingbirdby Imaan Mirza, year 10

An unsullied performance of the African-American brawl.

Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression in 1930s Alabama, a young girl swings elatedly on a tyre hanging from an oak tree. Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ has long dominated a pride of place in modern American and English Literature, spanning over generations of young and old, as it continues to captivate the loss of innocence and the brisk ascent of immoral corruption. The only sin that Jean Louise Finch, a young girl of 8 in this classic novel, has heard her father Atticus reviles was to kill a Mockingbird; they only sing wonderful songs that please our ears. Despite the sun aflame, all eyes lingered on the stage of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. Intrigued spectators in their hundreds tightly gripped the edge of their seats, as the actors of the prestigious production rose swiftly from within the stands, declaiming the novel in their respective roles.

As the performers took to the stage, a subtle bellow was heard from beyond the scene, a harmonic tune plucked blissfully from a wistful ukulele. Emerging from the bushes that surrounded him, a young man sings effortlessly on his yellow harmonica, breathing life into the streets of Maycomb County depicted across the black platform drawn in white chalk. Timothy Sheader’s adaptation of the renowned ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is timeless, presenting an eerie yet highly powerful performance through the eyes of Scout Finch, her older brother Jem, and their eccentric young friend Dill. As they explore the streets of Maycomb County, Dill becomes increasingly fascinated with the evolving speculation of a man who goes by the name of Boo. I closely observe a kaleidoscope of vivacity of the pragmatic Miss Maudi, the elderly yet impudent Mrs Dubose, and the nearby church, as Leonard successfully taps into a conflict-ridden society consumed by racial segregation and deceit.

Atticus and Scout (taken from publicreviews.com)

The novel illustrates the warmth and humour of joyful children, despite the fact that the play predominantly centres upon the issues of rape and racial injustice. The narrator’s father, portrayed through the resilient lawyer Atticus Finch, has served as the moral protagonist for several readers today, as he firmly elucidates his deprecation not only in the courtroom, but also to his children. In this narrative, Atticus defends a black man, Tom Robinson, who is accused for the rape of a young white girl, Mayella Ewell. The staged performance of this theatrical trail scene is inconceivable, as Mayella is quick to reproach the innocent young black man, who in tears, struggles to attest his innocence against the common view of the African-Americans in the Deep South.

Through courage and compassion, eight year old Scout Finch breathes life into a neighbourhood immersed in utter turmoil, blinded by the primitive hostility between the black and white civilisations in 1930s America. As she resides on the verge of adulthood, Sheader depicts the true foundation upon which humanity is built, and articulates the themes of intolerance and benevolence as it naturally emanates from the performers on stage. Timothy Sheader charismatically portrays the way in which Lee’s novel is woven into our own lives as it were a piece of fabric, and evidently imparts the way in which the adult themes of sexual exploitation and racial prejudice are so closely bonded with the naivety of childhood bliss. Don’t miss this universal tale, narrated in the open air.